Veraxa Biotech Names Raju Willener CFO Amid Funding Challenges

VERAXA Biotech appointed Raju Willener as chief financial officer on September 4, 2026, replacing Carl von Halem and adding a finance executive with more than three decades of experience in capital markets, corporate finance and biotechnology. The company said Willener will help develop its capital strategy and support its BiTAC-based oncology pipeline, but the appointment also highlights VERAXA’s status as a pre-revenue biotech whose lead candidate is not expected to be ready for regulatory submissions until early 2028. VERAXA’s June de-SPAC generated little cash after 99.67% of the SPAC’s public shares were redeemed, leaving the company reliant on other financing arrangements, including a $77.5 million package described in one analysis. Separately, a registration statement covers the potential resale of up to 25 million ordinary shares by Lincoln Park Capital, while VERAXA may sell up to $50 million in shares to Lincoln Park under a purchase agreement, creating a significant potential source of funding but also raising dilution concerns.